A small browser-based tool for renaming a group of files at once.
I originally made this to help with some WordPress development work. I kept running into folders full of images and other assets that needed a quick naming cleanup before I uploaded them into WordPress, and I wanted something simpler than opening PowerShell or installing a separate renaming app.
The tool runs entirely in the browser. It does not upload your files anywhere.
You can use the Batch File Renamer directly in your browser through GitHub Pages.
You can rename all of the files in a folder in three basic ways.
Adds text to the beginning of the existing filename.
photo.jpg
with:
project_
becomes:
project_photo.jpg
Adds text to the end of the existing filename, before the file extension.
photo.jpg
with:
_final
becomes:
photo_final.jpg
Replaces the current filename completely and adds automatic numbering.
photo.jpg
image.png
scan.pdf
using project becomes:
project_0.jpg
project_1.png
project_2.pdf
You can change the separator, starting number, and number padding too.
By default, the tool only works with files directly inside the folder you choose.
If you check Include files inside subfolders, it also works through nested folders and renames the files inside them. Folder names themselves are not changed.
The preview shows the relative path so you can see where those files are before running the rename.
When automatic numbering is being used, files can be ordered by:
- Filename A to Z
- Filename Z to A
- Oldest modified first
- Newest modified first
Open the page in desktop Chrome or Edge.
Drag a folder onto the page, or click Choose Folder.
Pick whether you want to add a prefix, add a suffix, or replace the filenames completely. Enter the text you want to use and look through the preview before changing anything.
If you want the tool to also go through folders inside the folder you selected, check Include files inside subfolders.
When everything looks right, click Rename Files. Your browser may ask for permission to make changes to the folder. That is normal. The page needs write access so it can rename the actual files on your computer.
There is no build process and nothing to install.
Download index.html and open it in Chrome or Edge.
That is the whole application.
The tool uses the browser File System Access API so it can work directly with local folders.
Desktop Chrome and Edge are the main supported browsers. Other browsers may be able to open the page, but direct file renaming may not work.
Files stay on your computer. The tool does not upload file contents or filenames to a server. The browser only gives the page access to the folder that you explicitly choose.
Batch renaming can make a lot of changes very quickly.
There is a preview and some basic filename conflict checking built in, but you should still keep a backup of anything important before running a large rename.
Use at your own risk.
Brian McLendon